Funny how Singapore weather can be. We were supposed to visit Bukit Timah, one of the Singapore Nature Reserves but the thunderstorms have other plans. Back in the city, it seems rain clouds didn’t visit the area. We rendezvous with our friend again that evening who toured us to the Supertree Grove, just behind the Marina Bay Sands. It’s wonderful to see this sci-fi inspired grove finally done after seeing its construction two years ago.
Tag: Parks
Going Lake Side in Tomohon at Lake Linow and Lake Tondano
It reminds me so much of the Philippine’s Mount Pinatubo crater but crossed with the cool climate of the pine tree city of Baguio. Lake Linow is so picturesque that it quickly became a favorite of mine in all the places I’ve visited in North Sulawesi. I imagine myself trading places with that student reading under the tree while enjoying the gentle breeze. Lake Linow is one of the lakes to visit in North Sulawesi along with its bigger sibling, Lake Tondano which is as vast as the sea.
Zamboanga del Norte: Tracing Rizal in Dapitan
“This is one of the cities I could probably live in” were my first thoughts exploring the streets of Dapitan City. A city found in Zamboanga del Norte, declared a city not because of its population nor its economic stature but because of its rich heritage. The country’s National Hero, Jose Rizal, lived in this region after his exile in 1892. The mark he left with the place and the people was like an eternal echo surviving through the times. I was in Zamboanga del Norte initially for work teaching a group about photography, but I had time to retrace Rizal’s footsteps and discovered some wonderful places in the process.
Surigao del Sur: Tinuy-an Falls, Philippine’s Widest Waterfalls in Bislig
We made a good decision to delay our visit to Tinuy-an Falls the day before and opt for Hagonoy Island. Our driver, who I call Pacman, told us the falls grounds were crawling with visitors and the parking area extended a few hundred meters from the entrance. But when we got there early mid-morning, the crowd was manageable and we headed for the entrance with excitement flowing as strong as the lower cascades of the falls. We paid the P50 entrance fee and we’re in.
Cagayan: Development Falls at Portabaga Falls in Claveria
Our second day in Claveria is all about chasing waterfalls. Taking it easy in the morning we started our exploration almost mid-day after having lunch. We initially scooped around first for information about the three falls we intend to visit from the local. There isn’t much literature about the falls yet so we had to get an idea on their distances and locations. We got to meet Mang Pedro, a 60+ driver with his bright yellow tricycle. We got a really good vibe from his and decided to hire him to check out the falls.
Benguet: Morning View at Mines View Park Baguio
Who says you can’t enjoy the cool climate of Baguio on a weekend? Victory Liner is definitely victorious in capturing the route to Baguio that there are buses rolling off every hour for 24 hours. But we were not just there to enjoy the cooler weather as I along with friends Oggie and Erick are joining the Columbia Eco Trail Run at Camp John Hay. It’s good thing we bought tickets earlier to get our preferred seats since the Victory Liner station at Malibay Pasay is still packed with passengers heading out of Manila.
Pampanga: Candaba Wetlands and the Vanishing Bird Sanctuary
There’s what we call the Great Migration, in which living beings move from one place to another to survive and we humans are no exception to this chain. When our habitat condition is deemed unliveable we move to a new location. A perfect example of this of course is the migratory birds that fly endlessly around the world and live temporarily on environments favourable to them. The Philippines, particularly the Candaba Wetlands in Pampanga has been an annual host to these birds
